Voting Under Way In ‘Potomac Primaries’
BALTIMORE (AP) — Voters are going to the polls Tuesday in primary elections in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Early turnout has been heavy in Virginia – a state without party registration, and in which voters can take part in either primary. A state Board of Elections spokeswoman says by 9 a.m., voters had to wait as much as 45 minutes in some areas.
Maryland elections officials have also been anticipating better-than-average turnout – with about 35 percent of the eligible voters expected to cast ballots.
Dozens of people filled a school gym in Washington, D.C. as voting began at 7 a.m. One Democratic voter said he planned to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton, but that he believed both candidates are highly qualified.
Among Democrats, Barack Obama is expected to take all three elections over Clinton. He swept five contests over the weekend and analysts don’t expect Clinton to win again until early March when delegate-rich Texas and Ohio hold their contests.
Senator John McCain, the Republican front-runner, is favored in GOP voting. He’s hoping to put more distance between his campaign and that of underdog Mike Huckabee, who won two of three contests over the weekend.
